Exhibit 10.79
CONFIDENTIAL
TCBY SYSTEMS,
LLC
Distribution Service
Agreement
with Lincoln Poultry and Egg
Company
January 15, 2007
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DISTRIBUTION
AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT
is made and entered into as of the
15th day of January, 2007, by and between TCBY SYSTEMS, LLC,
a Delaware limited liability company (“COMPANY”) and
LINCOLN POULTRY AND EGG COMPANY, a Nebraska Corporation
(“DISTRIBUTOR”). DISTRIBUTOR will commence distribution
services under this Agreement on March 26, 2007 (the
“Effective Date”) unless otherwise mutually agreed upon
by the parties.
RECITALS
A .
The COMPANY is engaged in the
worldwide business of franchising or licensing retail TCBY Stores
and other related concepts (“Franchised Stores”).
COMPANY also has several COMPANY-owned stores that it supports
directly (“Company Stores”). The Franchised Stores and
or individual franchisees (the “Franchisees”) function
as independent companies and are individually and solely
responsible for the activities at each location, including
purchasing needed products and supplies, which includes
responsibility for purchasing from DISTRIBUTOR. COMPANY is
responsible for activities at its Company Stores. Company Stores
and Franchised Stores are jointly referred to herein as
“Stores”, the Franchisees and individuals responsible
for Company Stores are jointly referred to as
(“Operators”) and the combined efforts of the COMPANY
and its Franchisees is referred to as the “System”.
COMPANY takes steps to assist Stores to meet its purchasing needs
and has the right to designate distributors and suppliers for the
System.
B.
The DISTRIBUTOR is engaged in the
business of purchasing, selling, distributing and delivering food
service products (including the Products, as defined below). In
connection therewith, the DISTRIBUTOR manages, controls, prepares
and furnishes reports to its customers concerning the inventories
of products and supplies the DISTRIBUTOR purchases, manages and
controls for sale, distribution and delivery to its
customers.
C.
COMPANY wishes to appoint
DISTRIBUTOR as a distributor of certain approved proprietary food
and related products to the Stores located within the Territory (as
defined below), and DISTRIBUTOR wishes to accept such appointment,
all on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.
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AGREEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE,
in consideration of the mutual
covenants herein set forth and other good and valuable
consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby
acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:
1.
Appointment
- Subject to all terms and
conditions of this Agreement, COMPANY hereby appoints DISTRIBUTOR
as a distributor of the products within the product categories
listed in Schedule 1 (the “Products”), to the
Stores in the territory serviced by DISTRIBUTOR’s
distribution center located in Lincoln, Nebraska (the
“Territory”) as reflected in the map depicted in
Schedule 2 and DISTRIBUTOR hereby accepts such appointment.
This Territory includes the entire state of Iowa; the portions of
the states of North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska east of US
Highway 83 but including the cities of Minot and Bismarck, North
Dakota, Pierre, South Dakota and North Platte, Nebraska; the
portion of the state of Minnesota south of US Highway 12 but
including the greater metropolitan areas of Minneapolis and St.
Paul Minnesota and the city of Quincy, Illinois. Subject to Section
2.02, COMPANY may appoint DISTRIBUTOR as a distributor of Products
to Stores outside of the Territory and DISTRIBUTOR may agree to
such designation.
2.
Distribution of
Products
2.01
Products
- DISTRIBUTOR will maintain in its inventory of
Products the following: (i) Products designated by COMPANY that
contain the proprietary trademarks, service marks, logos or labels
of COMPANY or any of its affiliates or that are made pursuant to
specifications provided by COMPANY, its affiliates, or licensors
for limited distribution to Operators (defined below) or other
entities licensed by COMPANY, its affiliates or licensors
(“TCBY Branded Products”), and (ii) other supplies or
other national or regional branded Products designated or
contracted for by COMPANY to be maintained in inventory by
DISTRIBUTOR for distribution to COMPANY, its affiliates and the
Operators. (Collectively, Products described in clauses (i) and
(ii) are referred to as “Proprietary Products”).
DISTRIBUTOR will also maintain in its inventory non-proprietary
Products which DISTRIBUTOR stocks in its inventory for sale to
COMPANY, its affiliates and its Operators. DISTRIBUTOR shall not be
required to maintain more than two hundred (200) Proprietary
Products in inventory at any time. All Coca Cola Products carried
for COMPANY shall be excluded from the calculation of the number of
Proprietary Products.
2.02
Approved
Operators - DISTRIBUTOR shall sell and deliver to
Franchisees and Operators of Stores approved by COMPANY and located
within the Territory such quantities of the Products
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(subject to minimum Product order
requirements) as the Operators may order from time to time during
the term of this Agreement. DISTRIBUTOR shall cease selling TCBY
Branded Products to any Operator not later than three (3) days
following receipt of written notice from COMPANY advising
DISTRIBUTOR that such Operator is no longer approved by COMPANY and
shall, within such timeframe, further cease selling, under the
terms of any supplier agreement negotiated by COMPANY, all
Proprietary Products to such Operators referenced in such notice.
In addition, DISTRIBUTOR shall have the right to cease the sale and
distribution of Products to any Operator (a) who is in default of
its obligations to DISTRIBUTOR, provided that DISTRIBUTOR has given
COMPANY at least three (3) business days notice of such default
before ceasing deliveries to such Operator, or (b) who has filed a
voluntary petition in bankruptcy or under any other similar
insolvency or debtor relief law or who has had such a petition
filed against it, or who has made a general assignment for the
benefit of its creditors. COMPANY shall also have the right to
reinstate delivery to any Operator that COMPANY previously stopped
selling by providing written notice to DISTRIBUTOR and DISTRIBUTOR
shall provide such delivery as soon as mutually agreed between the
parties.
A list of the present Operators with
Stores located within the Territory and approved by COMPANY and
their respective Store locations is attached hereto as Schedule
3 . During the term of this Agreement, COMPANY shall maintain
and provide to DISTRIBUTOR a current list of all Operators with
Stores within the Territory who have been approved by COMPANY for
distribution of the Products under this Agreement. DISTRIBUTOR
shall have the right to rely upon such list, as amended or modified
by COMPANY in writing from time to time, in performing its
obligations under this Agreement. COMPANY shall notify DISTRIBUTOR
of new Stores within the Territory not less than fourteen (14) days
prior to the desired date of first shipment of Products to any such
new Stores. In addition, provided and to the extent that COMPANY
and DISTRIBUTOR mutually agree in writing, DISTRIBUTOR shall
provide distribution services to Stores located outside the
Territory, as designated by COMPANY.
COMPANY represents and warrants that
the terms of this Agreement, as and if amended in the manner
permitted under this Agreement, are binding upon and shall govern
DISTRIBUTOR and COMPANY’s obligations with respect to
distribution services performed by DISTRIBUTOR hereunder and that
each Franchisee that is an owner or operator of a Franchised Store
within the System shall be bound by the terms of this Agreement, as
it may hereafter be amended, upon such Operator’s purchase of
Proprietary Products from DISTRIBUTOR.
2.03
Product Orders
- All Product orders shall be submitted by the
Operators to DISTRIBUTOR and shall specify the location of the
Operator’s Stores, the type of Product, and the quantity
desired.
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Operators may place orders
electronically (“Electronic Orders”) or by telephoning
or faxing DISTRIBUTOR’s customer service center in accordance
with the guidelines detailed below. All shipment expenses from
DISTRIBUTOR’s distribution center to the Operator’s
location shall be at DISTRIBUTOR’s expense unless otherwise
noted elsewhere in this Agreement. Product order guides will be
provided by DISTRIBUTOR to the Operators monthly via
DISTRIBUTOR’s website and with a hard copy delivered to each
Store, with availability of such order guides to be made prior to
the beginning of the month, but only after review and approval of
the order guide by COMPANY. The order guides will be organized by
Product categories and will include, among other things, the
Product Sell Price (as defined herein), Product units and new
Products. DISTRIBUTOR will assign one product code number to each
stock-keeping unit (“SKU”) of each Product, which will
be common throughout its entire distribution system and will be
used on all documents such as order guides, invoices, monthly
reports, etc. SKU’s, and, accordingly, the assigned product
code number, must differ for equivalent Products supplied by
different suppliers. DISTRIBUTOR will utilize the existing TCBY
product item numbers. Only Products approved for sale to its
Operators by the COMPANY will be listed on this order guide.
Electronic Orders will be placed via internet using
DISTRIBUTOR’s web-site. All Electronic Orders are subject to
the standard order cut-off time of 4:00 p.m. local time, two (2)
days prior to their scheduled delivery day. Operators will have
until 5:00 p.m. local time, two (2) days before their order
shipping day to modify or add-on to their order. Orders not placed
electronically may be subject to earlier cut-off times than those
established above as mutually agreed upon between COMPANY and
DISTRIBUTOR. Operators will be notified prior to 10:00 a.m. the day
after their order cut-off if a product is expected to be out of
stock so that an alternative may be ordered, subject to the
provisions of Section 3.02. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Stores
that have a scheduled delivery day of Monday, must have their
orders placed by 12:00 p.m. local time, on the preceding Saturday
and Stores that have a scheduled delivery day of Tuesday must have
their orders placed by 12:00 p.m. local time, on the preceding
Sunday.
DISTRIBUTOR may schedule deliveries
at any time and day of the week. However, where reasonably
possible, DISTRIBUTOR will schedule ordering days and delivery days
that are mutually agreed upon by and between DISTRIBUTOR and each
Operator and will provide notice to the affected Operator at least
fourteen (14) days before routing changes. On an exception basis,
DISTRIBUTOR will consider shortening the permissible time frames
for scheduled deliveries for those Operators that, given unique and
compelling business needs, require the same.
2.04
Deliveries.
Delivery vehicles used by
DISTRIBUTOR will only display the marks of DISTRIBUTOR, except for
locations that cannot accommodate delivery by
DISTRIBUTOR’S
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existing tractor trailers or in the
instances where recovery deliveries are made by outside services or
DISTRIBUTOR has the need for temporary short term rental
equipment.
DISTRIBUTOR agrees that, excluding
key drops (deliveries scheduled to be made during the period
running from one (1) hour or more after the retail closing time of
the Store to deliveries one (1) hour or more before the retail
opening time of the Store), an overall average of 90% of all
regularly scheduled deliveries will be made within a two (2) hour
window, meaning no earlier than one (1) hour before and no later
than one (1) hour after the scheduled delivery time. If a delivery
is anticipated to fall outside of this two (2) hour window,
DISTRIBUTOR will immediately notify the Operator. DISTRIBUTOR will
provide an inside delivery to each Operator in accordance with
Company’s temperature store requirements as detailed in
Section 4.09, placing refrigerated and frozen Products into their
appropriate storage areas, but will not be responsible for stocking
shelves or rotating inventories.
All invoices for deliveries made
during Store’s business hours will be signed for by the
Store’s store manager or other representative prior to
DISTRIBUTOR’s driver leaving the Store (provided that the
driver is not unreasonably delayed). Copies of invoices for
deliveries made after the Store’s regular business hours will
be left at the Store.
The COMPANY agrees to use its
commercially reasonable efforts to cause Operators to provide keys
and security codes for night deliveries where necessary. In the
event Operator refuses to provide keys and security codes, Operator
will promptly meet the delivery driver at the scheduled appointment
time or at such other time as Operator has been notified in the
event of a late delivery. If the Operator fails to meet the
DISTRIBUTOR delivery at the appropriate time on more than one
occasion, the Operator shall be responsible for payment of a
penalty fee of [CONFIDENTIAL] (1) to DISTRIBUTOR for
subsequent occurrences. In the event of a Product shortage or
delivery problem that occurs during an unattended delivery, the
authorized representative of the Stores will contact the
distribution center no later than the first Notification Deadline
following such unattended delivery. The “Notification
Deadline” is 4:00 p.m. local time each day for the affected
Stores.
2.05
Delivery
Frequency/Routing - DISTRIBUTOR will provide each Operator with a
minimum delivery frequency based on annual case volume as shown
below as long as the Operator meets the minimum order requirements
set forth in Section 5 hereof:
(1)
Confidential treatment has been
requested for the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted
portions have been filed separately with the SEC.
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Delivery Frequency
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Annual Case Volume
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Summer Routing
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Winter Routing
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Less than 200 cases
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4 deliveries during a 12 month period
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200-349 cases
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6 deliveries during a 12 month period
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350-499 cases
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8 deliveries during a 12 month period
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500-999 cases
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Every 4 weeks
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Every 4 weeks
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1,000-1,999 cases
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Every 3 weeks
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Every 4 weeks
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2,000-3,499 cases
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Every week
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Every 2 weeks
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Greater than 3,499 cases
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Every week
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Every week
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This schedule is intended to serve
as a guideline only and DISTRIBUTOR agrees to provide additional
regular deliveries as requested by Operator and approved by COMPANY
in writing. COMPANY will provide DISTRIBUTOR with the initial
delivery frequency for each Store in Schedule 3 . COMPANY
and DISTRIBUTOR will mutually agree on the exact date for routing
changes from summer to winter and winter to summer but each period
will be approximately six (6) months with summer routing from April
through September and winter routing from October through
March.
In the event an emergency delivery
is required based upon the Operator’s needs and not due to a
delivery error by DISTRIBUTOR nor during the time periods specified
in Section 2.06, DISTRIBUTOR will accommodate the Operator’s
request with the most efficient available delivery method. All
additional freight expense will be at the Operator’s expense
and will be billed upon DISTRIBUTOR’s receipt of the invoice
from the shipping agent. If DISTRIBUTOR is able to schedule such an
emergency delivery in conjunction with a nearby route, the
additional freight expense will be [CONFIDENTIAL] (2). Where
possible, a store may order up to [CONFIDENTIAL] (3) cases
to be delivered to a nearby store, on that store’s delivery
day (and with that store’s consent) without an additional
charge. Products delivered to a nearby store will be billed on a
separate invoice.
Should the need arise for an
emergency or special delivery due to supplier error, DISTRIBUTOR
and COMPANY will work with the supplier to remedy the shortage at
the supplier’s expense. If supplier fails to pay the
additional freight expense, COMPANY will be required to do so
provided DISTRIBUTOR notifies COMPANY immediately of supplier
non-performance. If an emergency delivery is necessary due to
DISTRIBUTOR error, DISTRIBUTOR will arrange a special delivery with
any additional freight to be paid by DISTRIBUTOR.
(2)
Confidential treatment has been
requested for the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted
portions have been filed separately with the SEC.
(3)
Confidential treatment has been
requested for the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted
portions have been filed separately with the SEC.
7
DISTRIBUTOR will arrange its routes
to insure that its delivery trucks will be in all markets
(SMSA’s of at least 250,000 population) within each Territory
at least twice a week where at least twenty-five (25) Stores
serviced by DISTRIBUTOR under this Agreement are
located.
2.06
Special Deliveries During
Roll-Out and New Operator Openings - DISTRIBUTOR and COMPANY recognize that during
the initial roll-out phase of the DISTRIBUTOR distribution program,
many new processes will be in place for each of COMPANY, the
Operators and DISTRIBUTOR, including changes in the way the
Operators order, the distance from the DISTRIBUTOR distribution
center to the Operators, and lead times from order day to delivery
day for the Operators. Therefore, DISTRIBUTOR will process
emergency orders for all Operators for the first thirty (30) days
following the commencement of distribution service at no additional
charge, subject to the minimum order requirements and applicable
handling fees, if any, as set forth in Section 5 of this
Agreement.
2.07
Return of
Products/Credits – Any Products ordered by Operators which
are returned to DISTRIBUTOR for any reason must be returned no
later than the next regularly scheduled delivery (except that, in
the case of Products to be returned as a result of concealed
damage, within the remaining shelf life of such Products) and all
claims for Products to be returned must be made either to the
driver upon check-in of the order, by telephone by 4 p.m. on the
day of delivery following receipt of the Products if an unattended
delivery or, in the case of concealed damage, within twenty-four
(24) hours of discovery of concealed damage by the Operator. All
returned items must be in unmarked original packaging and must be
in suitable condition for resale (unless damaged or mis-marked
Product was the reason for the return). Subject to the foregoing,
DISTRIBUTOR shall provide credit to the affected Operator for
defective, shorted or damaged Products within twenty-four (24)
hours of the driver’s return if brought to the driver’s
attention or noticed by the driver during delivery or, in any
event, within forty-eight (48) hours of DISTRIBUTOR’s receipt
of the Operator’s claim of damaged, shorted or defective
Products (or receipt of product, if warranted) and will immediately
provide documentation to the Operator of such credit via fax or
email as requested by the Operator. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
no returns will be permitted for cooler or freezer items, or fresh
produce due to misorder by the Operator. Products refused by
Operator at time of delivery for reasons other than damage or
remaining shelf life below agreed upon parameters will be subject
to a [CONFIDENTIAL] (4) restocking charge to be paid by
Operator. In the event that the shorted, defective or damaged
Product is a Kill Item, then DISTRIBUTOR will remedy the situation
in accordance with Section 3.02 if so requested by the
Operator.
(4)
Confidential treatment has been
requested for the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted
portions have been filed separately with the SEC.
8
2.08
Limited Time Offers
(“LTO’s”) - In
order to allow DISTRIBUTOR to maintain service levels to the
Operators, COMPANY will provide DISTRIBUTOR with at least
twenty-eight (28) days prior written notice of any and all
LTO’s to be run by COMPANY (subject to availability of LTO
Products from the supplier within the twenty-eight (28) day
period). Such written notices shall include estimated usage for the
Products to be promoted if such usage is expected to deviate
materially from historical levels or if a new Product. Subject to
the above, DISTRIBUTOR agrees to stock sufficient inventory for any
new Proprietary Products to be used in national LTO promotions and
other key items, as reasonably requested by COMPANY. Unless
retained on the Operator’s menu at the instruction of the
COMPANY or mutually agreed to between COMPANY and DISTRIBUTOR, all
LTO Products must be removed from the DISTRIBUTOR distribution
centers no later than sixty (60) days after the completion of the
LTO and COMPANY shall purchase all remaining inventory of such LTO
as provided in Section 3.02. The sale of LTO Products by
DISTRIBUTOR is final and LTO Products may not be returned to
DISTRIBUTOR, unless the return is necessitated due to a DISTRIBUTOR
error or due to Product damage not caused by the
Operator.
3.
Suppliers of Products;
Inventory of Products.
3.01
Suppliers/Contracted
Products - The
Proprietary Products to be distributed to the Operators under the
terms and conditions of this Agreement shall be purchased by
DISTRIBUTOR, on its own account, from the suppliers (including
COMPANY) selected by COMPANY, pursuant to terms and conditions as
are agreed upon by and between DISTRIBUTOR and such suppliers
(including COMPANY). In the event COMPANY enters into direct
contracts with suppliers, the terms and conditions of such
contracts that obligate DISTRIBUTOR shall be provided to
DISTRIBUTOR for its business and legal review and, if the business
and legal terms of the proposed contract that apply to DISTRIBUTOR
are reasonably acceptable to DISTRIBUTOR, DISTRIBUTOR will approve
the supplier contract. The guaranteed supplier price provided under
such supplier contract (net of billbacks by DISTRIBUTOR, if any),
plus applicable freight if the supplier price is not a delivered
price, [CONFIDENTIAL] (5) Products governed by such supplier
contracts negotiated by COMPANY are referred to herein as
“Contracted Products.” The freight charges for
Contracted Products will be an amount negotiated with the supplier
by COMPANY. DISTRIBUTOR agrees that Cost for any Contracted
Products will not include any unloading costs for palletized and
slipsheet loads.
(5)
Confidential treatment has been
requested for the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted
portions have been filed separately with the SEC.
9
3.02
Inventory
- During the term of this Agreement,
DISTRIBUTOR shall maintain an inventory of the Products in
quantities necessary to provide the Operators with an adequate
supply of such Products based upon initial usage projections by
COMPANY, future historical usage of such Products by the Operators,
and the fill rate performance requirements detailed below.
DISTRIBUTOR agrees to work with COMPANY, to attempt to maximize the
quantities of Products purchased to efficiently reduce the cost of
Products purchased, and to maximize Product inventory turns. In
addition, DISTRIBUTOR agrees to order Products in the quantities
indicated on the inbound quantity matrix attached hereto as
Schedule 5, as amended by COMPANY to reflect the growth in
the number of Stores serviced by DISTRIBUTOR in the Territory from
time to time. To further insure DISTRIBUTOR’s ability to
comply with the performance requirements detailed later in this
Section 3.02, DISTRIBUTOR will also maintain “safety
stock” of not less than [CONFIDENTIAL] (6) days
historical usage for all Proprietary Products and will also have an
additional [CONFIDENTIAL] (7) days historical usage of white
chocolate mousse, chocolate and vanilla frozen yogurt on the road
at all times. DISTRIBUTOR agrees that all Products delivered to
Operators will have at least one-third of their original shelf-life
remaining as of the date of delivery.
COMPANY categorizes Products into
three classes:
Proprietary Products that Operators
must have (“Kill Items”), which Kill Items will not
number more than [CONFIDENTIAL] (8) at any time, excluding
beverage Products and LTO items. COMPANY will provide a list of
Kill Items to DISTRIBUTOR, which list will be updated by COMPANY
from time-to-time. The initial list of Kill Items is attached as
Schedule 4 .
Other Proprietary Products that can
be substituted in an emergency.
Non-proprietary Products, including,
any produce items that DISTRIBUTOR may agree to provide.
DISTRIBUTOR will achieve a 100% fill
rate on Kill Items with overnight emergency delivery, if requested,
an overall aggregate “fill rate” for all Products of
[CONFIDENTIAL] (9), and at least [CONFIDENTIAL] (10)
of all invoices issued by DISTRIBUTOR to the Operators will
be
(6)
Confidential treatment has been
requested for the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted
portions have been filed separately with the SEC.
(7)
Confidential treatment has been
requested for the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted
portions have been filed separately with the SEC.
(8)
Confidential treatment has been
requested for the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted
portions have been filed separately with the SEC.
(9)
Confidential treatment has been
requested for the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted
portions have been filed separately with the SEC.
(10) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions have been
filed separately with the SEC.
10
completely accurate at the time of
initial issuance, with all of the above measured quarterly. The
“fill rate” equals the percentage of Products or Kill
Items, as the case may be, obtained by dividing the total number of
Products or Kill Items shipped by DISTRIBUTOR and received by the
Operators at the time of delivery for the month, by the total
number of Product or Kill Items ordered by the Operators from the
DISTRIBUTOR for that same month. All fill rate measurements (and
invoice accuracy requirements) will be net of supplier-related
issues such as shortages and delayed deliveries to DISTRIBUTOR,
provided DISTRIBUTOR notifies COMPANY immediately in the event of
supplier non-performance. If emergency delivery is required due to
supplier (including COMPANY) error, costs of emergency delivery
shall be at supplier (including COMPANY) expense, provided that, if
the supplier fails to absorb such expense, such delivery costs
shall be paid by the Operator provided DISTRIBUTOR has notified
COMPANY immediately in the event of such non-performance and
Operator has approved the additional expense in advance. If the
emergency delivery is due to DISTRIBUTOR error, then DISTRIBUTOR
will remedy the situation in as efficient manner as possible, which
may include emergency deliveries and special freight shipments, at
DISTRIBUTOR’S sole expense. If the emergency delivery is due
to Operator error, the Operator shall pay delivery costs for such
emergency delivery. From the moment of receipt of the Products for
storage by DISTRIBUTOR until the Products have been accepted by
Operator at the Store, DISTRIBUTOR assumes all risk of loss or
damage with respect thereto, shall be directly liable to COMPANY
for any such loss or damage to the Products and the related costs
and expenses for replacing the Products and agrees to obtain and
maintain adequate insurance coverage to insure against such loss or
damage.
In the event of substitution of a
Proprietary Product, the substituted Product must have been
previously approved by COMPANY in writing and, if the need for
substitution was caused due to DISTRIBUTOR error, the price of the
substituted Product will be determined based on the lower of the
Cost (as hereinafter defined) of the substituted Product or the
Cost of the out-of-stock Product that it replaces. In addition,
DISTRIBUTOR will reimburse COMPANY to the extent that COMPANY would
have realized a difference between its selling price to DISTRIBUTOR
and the amount that COMPANY would have paid for the Proprietary
Product from its supplier, unless the substitution is due to
COMPANY’s error. Upon request, COMPANY shall provide to
DISTRIBUTOR copies of invoices and other documentation reasonably
necessary to verify the amount of the difference claimed by
COMPANY. If substitution is due to supplier (including COMPANY)
error, then COMPANY shall cause supplier to, or if COMPANY is the
supplier, COMPANY shall, reimburse DISTRIBUTOR for any reasonable
losses sustained due to such error.
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To the extent that DISTRIBUTOR is
unable to sell to the Operators quantities of the Proprietary
Products in DISTRIBUTOR’s inventory for any reason
whatsoever, including, but not limited to, Product discontinuation,
slow-moving inventory, unused LTO Products, promotional or seasonal
Products or exceeded shelf life due to sudden decline in Product
movement and not due to DISTRIBUTOR error, COMPANY will purchase,
or cause a third party to purchase, all remaining inventory of such
Proprietary Products at DISTRIBUTOR’s cost, F.O.B. the
DISTRIBUTOR distribution centers plus DISTRIBUTOR’s handling
and carrying charges, if properly approved by COMPANY in advance as
outlined below. In such event, COMPANY will purchase or cause to be
purchased all perishable Proprietary Products within
[CONFIDENTIAL] (11) days after notice from DISTRIBUTOR or by
the expiration date of the Proprietary Products, whichever is
earlier, and all nonperishable Proprietary Products within
[CONFIDENTIAL] (12) days after notice from DISTRIBUTOR. In
addition, if the inventory re-purchase is necessitated for any
reason other than DISTRIBUTOR error, COMPANY shall reimburse to
DISTRIBUTOR all reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses (not to
exceed an amount equal to [CONFIDENTIAL] (13) of the
Product’s Cost unless DISTRIBUTOR receives COMPANY’S
prior written consent) incurred by DISTRIBUTOR in selling,
returning or otherwise disposing of such Products. DISTRIBUTOR
shall provide COMPANY with documentation or other proof that any
such costs and expenses were incurred by DISTRIBUTOR. In order to
allow COMPANY to monitor the supply and usage of the Proprietary
Products, DISTRIBUTOR shall provide to COMPANY a monthly obsolete
and slow-moving inventory report.
3.03
Aged Inventory
Notification - DISTRIBUTOR will immediately notify COMPANY in
writing in the event that any quantities of its Proprietary
Products are within [CONFIDENTIAL] (14) days of expiration
of product life. If DISTRIBUTOR fails to do so, COMPANY shall not
be required to comply with the requirements set forth in Section
3.02.
3.04
Present DISTRIBUTOR’s
Inventory -
DISTRIBUTOR agrees to purchase the existing merchantable and
saleable inventory of Proprietary Products from COMPANY’S
present distributor located in Alsip, Illinois in quantities not to
exceed a [CONFIDENTIAL] (15) days’ supply of such
Products, in the aggregate, provided that DISTRIBUTOR and COMPANY
have been given an opportunity by the present distributor to
inspect any such Product prior to purchase pursuant to this Section
3.04. DISTRIBUTOR will pay, via check, the present distributor
for
(11) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions have been
filed separately with the SEC.
(12) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions have been
filed separately with the SEC.
(13) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions have been
filed separately with the SEC.
(14) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions have been
filed separately with the SEC.
(15) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions have been
filed separately with the SEC.
12
Products purchased from it, within
ten (10) days of the later of DISTRIBUTOR’S receipt of the
Products or the receipt of the invoice approved by COMPANY for the
Products. DISTRIBUTOR shall be responsible for all freight and
unloading costs associated with transporting such inventory from
the existing DISTRIBUTOR’s locations listed above.
DISTRIBUTOR will not be responsible for any handling or other fees
charged by the current distributor in connection with
DISTRIBUTOR’s loading and transferring of such inventory.
COMPANY and the current distributor will be required to provide all
reasonable assistance and cooperation to DISTRIBUTOR in connection
with the purchase, loading and transportation of such inventory
from the current distributor to the DISTRIBUTOR distribution
center, including the scheduling of mutually agreeable inventory
inspection and pick-up times.
In the event that the Cost of the
Product, as purchased from the existing distributor, exceeds or is
less than the Cost that DISTRIBUTOR would otherwise utilize in
determining the Sell Price for such Products obtained through
suppliers, including COMPANY, DISTRIBUTOR shall utilize the Cost
designated by COMPANY in determining the Sell Price and shall
invoice, pay to COMPANY or charge the Operator, as directed by the
COMPANY, in the amount of the difference. In the event COMPANY
directs DISTRIBUTOR to invoice the COMPANY, COMPANY shall pay such
invoiced amount within [CONFIDENTIAL] (16) days of the date
of the invoice. In the case of a rebate to COMPANY, DISTRIBUTOR
shall pay the rebated amount within [CONFIDENTIAL] (17) days
of its determination of the amount to be rebated.
4.
Sell Price/Payment
Terms/Financial Reporting
4.01
Sell Price
- Beginning on the Effective Date and throughout
the entire term of this Agreement, the maximum purchase price at
which DISTRIBUTOR shall sell the Products, (the “Sell
Price”), to the Operators shall be determined by adding the
“Cost” (as hereinafter defined) of the Product plus
[CONFIDENTIAL] (18) per case for all deliveries
(collectively, “Markup”), subject to the other
provisions of this Agreement. For purposes of this Agreement, the
“Cost” of a Product other than a Contracted Product
shall be the sum of (a) the cost of the Product as shown on the
invoices to DISTRIBUTOR from the respective supplier, including
COMPANY, plus (b) if the invoiced cost of the Product is not a
delivered price, the applicable freight charges related to shipping
the Product from the supplier to DISTRIBUTOR’S distribution
center and, if applicable, the inter-branch freight cost detailed
in Section 3.02, plus (c) the Sourcing Fees (as later defined in
Section 4.06), if any, attributable to the Product, less (d)
promotional allowances reflected on supplier invoices to
DISTRIBUTOR. Applicable freight, in those cases where
the
(16) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions have been
filed separately with the SEC.
(17) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions have been
filed separately with the SEC.
(18) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions have been
filed separately with the SEC.
13
invoice cost to DISTRIBUTOR for
non-proprietary Products is not a delivered cost, means that
DISTRIBUTOR has added a reasonable freight charge, agreed to in
advance and in writing by COMPANY for delivering such
non-proprietary Products from suppliers to DISTRIBUTOR. Applicable
freight for any non-proprietary Product will not exceed the rate
charged by nationally recognized carriers operating in the same
market for the same type of freight service. Cost for any
non-proprietary Product will not be reduced by discounts for cash
or prompt payment available to DISTRIBUTOR, breakage allowances or
by backhaul revenue. Fuel or other transportation surcharges
indicated on the manufacturer’s or supplier’s invoice
or on freight invoices will increase Cost. The Cost of a Contracted
Product shall be determined in accordance with Section 3.01. In no
event will the Cost of Contracted Products include amounts to be
rebated to DISTRIBUTOR and therefore, DISTRIBUTOR will not
negotiate off-invoice manufacturer rebates, labels/promotional
allowances or any other “soft money” received from
supplier or freight carriers of Contracted Products. In order to
allow verification of the foregoing commitment, DISTRIBUTOR agrees
to provide documentation substantiating the Cost of items
DISTRIBUTOR purchases from suppliers and freight carriers.
DISTRIBUTOR agrees to limit its collection of such “soft
money” to the manufacturers of non-proprietary Products. The
Cost of Contracted Products will not be reduced by discounts for
cash or prompt payment available to DISTRIBUTOR, breakage
allowances or by backhaul revenue. Fuel or other transportation
surcharges indicated on the manufacturer’s or
supplier’s invoice or on freight invoices will increase
Cost.
The invoice format to be used by
DISTRIBUTOR will be approved by COMPANY and will contain separate
lines showing subtotals for various Product categories, applicable
taxes, the date of the ACH debit and other summary line items as
detailed elsewhere in this Agreement.
Partial case shipments (also known
as “splits”) shall be permitted for the malt,
maraschino cherries, chocolate sprinkles, assorted sprinkles in
which individual units of such Products are separately packaged
within each case. Notwithstanding anything else contained in this
agreement to the contrary, the Markup for the following items will
be limited to [CONFIDENTIAL] (19): maraschino cherries,
medium spoons, straws, chocolate sprinkles and assorted sprinkles.
The Markup for taster spoons and water will be limited to
[CONFIDENTIAL] (20)
Notwithstanding anything else
contained herein to the contrary and for the entire term of this
Agreement, COMPANY and DISTRIBUTOR agree that the Markup will be
reduced by seven
(19) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions have been
filed separately with the SEC.
(20) Confidential treatment has been requested for
the redacted portion. The confidential, redacted portions have been
filed separately with the SEC.
14
($.07) cents per case for all
Products except for those listed in the preceding paragraph, in the
event that DISTRIBUTOR ceases providing distribution services to
the Stores located in Huron and Pierre, South Dakota or in the
event that DISTRIBUTOR delivers Products for these two Stores to a
third party distributor located in the Territory. In the event that
DISTRIBUTOR does deliver these Products to a third party
distributor, then the Markup will be the same as for all other
Stores with the exception that the delivery surcharges called for
in Section 5 of this Agreement will not apply.
4.02
“Cost” for
Contracted Products/True-Up Methodology - In the case of Contracted products, COMPANY
agrees to notify DISTRIBUTOR as soon as practical af